KUALA LUMPUR: Lee Zii Jia, Soh Wooi Yik, and Lai Pei Jing are more than just friends to women's singles shuttler Goh Jin Wei. They are her source of inspiration.
The two-time former world junior champion, who has been struggling to find her best form since undergoing a colectomy in 2019, said she will continue playing badminton as long as her friends do.
After testing the courts at the Axiata Arena on Sunday ahead of the Malaysia Masters next week, Jin Wei said, "Zii Jia, Wooi Yik, and Pei Jing are my seniors, each with very different situations.
"Pei Jing is older, but she is not like Zii Jia or Wooi Yik, who are winning more titles. Yet, she shares a lot with me. Everyone has their own journey, and I learn from them. They are my motivation. As long as they keep playing, I will continue too."
Jin Wei, who will take on a qualifier in the opening round on Wednesday, also acknowledged that negative comments from naysayers and armchair critics are beyond her control. As an independent player, she focuses on her game and keeps pushing forward.
"I feel there is still hope for me to win, so I will fight for it. I don't think giving up is good.
"In the past, I used to get affected by these (negative) comments. After my surgery, I had to face a lot of things alone. It's okay, I'll just ignore them while I can learn from the good comments," added Jin Wei.
World No. 32 Jin Wei is the only Malaysian women's singles player to qualify for this year's Paris Olympics.
Meanwhile, two other national players, K. Letshanaa and Wong Ling Ching, will have to play in the qualifying rounds of the Malaysia Masters on Tuesday.
